Immunologist Ugur Sahin, founder of BioNTech, which is developing a coronavirus vaccine with Pfizer, said the pandemic will subside by the beginning of next winter. The victory over the spread of SARS-CoV-2 will be possible thanks to the widespread use of the vaccine, which will halve the number of cases of transmission of the pathogen. The new date for the end of the global epidemic is reported by the BBC.
Shahin said he is confident that with the help of a highly effective vaccine from BioNTech and Pfizer, the transmission of coronavirus between humans can be reduced by 50 percent, but even this could lead to a sharp decrease in the scale of the pandemic.
The UK is expected to receive 10 million doses of BioNTech / Pfizer vaccine by the end of the year, with an additional 30 million on order. The shot, which has been tested in six countries, is given in two doses three weeks apart. Senior residents and nursing home staff will be the first to go, followed by healthcare workers and people over 80. People will then be ranked by age.
The scientists' goal is to deliver more than 300 million doses worldwide by April next year, but this will only be the initial effort to combat the pandemic. In the summer of 2021, the level of infection will decrease, so it is necessary to achieve a high level of vaccination among the world's population by the beginning of autumn and winter.
